Wild World
by Pottergirl1
Summary: Isabella is going away to college. Songfic to Wild World by Cat Stevens.  Nothing belongs to me.


_Now that I've lost everything to you,_

_You say that you want to start something new._

Phineas sat on his custom tree root. Ferb had always sat on his left, legs stretched out in preparation for a new day. It had used to be a comfortable spot for thinking, but now it was cramped. Seven years sure made a difference, he noted as he wriggled around, trying to find a more accommodating space.

He wanted to cry. He hadn't in years; it was pointless, _misery _was pointless, but it was an overwhelming urge. He could feel his eyes stinging; her innocence was impeccable, the precious perfection he had found it his job to protect. She was naïve, had no idea of the horrors of life, it was wrong, cruel, deceiving of her that some force made her wish for more.

_And it's breaking my heart you're leaving',_

_Baby I'm grieving'._

_But If you want to leave, take good care,_

_Hope you have a lot of nice things to wear._

She wanted to go to college, which wasn't a bad thing. Phineas might approve if it weren't for the fact that it was in France. France! The city of love, no less, as though to rub salt in his wounds. She would return with a thorough knowledge of the world, a thorough knowledge of _everything_. He would be completely useless, an old friend forgotten in the rush of the moment. Being nothing to her was his worst fear.

He had wanted to go to college too. He had money to burn, intelligence, ingenious ideas…he was invited to many of the best, but he had stayed true to his roots, to his family, to his…Isabella. And she had betrayed him, in his eyes at least.

_But then, a lot of nice things turn bad out there._

It seemed nothing could pierce her bubble at ten, and days of blissful nonsense were beautiful. It would be terrible if she became the stereotype bad girl; nightmares of leather jackets and black motorcycles haunted his brain.

_Ooh, baby, baby it's a wild world,_

_And it's hard to get by just upon a smile._

It was her beautiful smile he fell in love with, just on hesitant flash of pearly whites was enough to wrap him even tighter around her baby finger. Her dark sapphire eyes always sparkled with good humor when she smiled, even she didn't notice that she cocked her ever so slightly to the side as she did so(in the cutest of ways, of course).

_Ooh baby, baby it's a wild world._

_And I'll always remember you like a child, girl._

She could walk in the yard right now, at seventeen, and he would still see her as ten, a fearless Fireside girls leader, "Watcha doin'?" her catchphrase; pink bow on top of her head as always. She would curl up next to him and they would sit in silence. There was no need for words sometimes, Ferb had proven that, and it was a comfortable quiet, enjoying each other's warmth and just knowing the other was there. But she wouldn't be, in just a few weeks, and it was wrong.

He felt his eyes sting again.

_You know I've seen a lot of what this world can do,_

Phineas had been introduced to emotional pain at a very young age, when the Flynn father left. He said Phineas was special, that they would always be together, and then he just…left. Ran away and left Phineas with empty promises and a broken heart.

Phineas had cried, screamed, promised he'd be better, wouldn't pull Candace's hair, wouldn't cry so much if only he came back. But he never did. Even after months of waiting, even after all his promises of love, he didn't come. He was just...gone.

And it was then, in the middle of a sobbing fit, that he promised himself never to cry again. Crying didn't help, if anything it gave more hopes to be crushed; why do it? So he didn't. For years.

_And it's breaking my heart in two,_

'_Cause I never want to see you sad, girl._

Mindless decisions were common in this world. Danger could be lurking around every corner, waiting to sink its venomous fangs into an innocent bystander. What if she was hurt, emotionally or physically?

He had given her permission to be free, to date whomever she wanted; she giggled and declined, saying "I've liked you for years, you can't get rid of me that easily." He had laughed, and the sentence was comforting, but he couldn't shake the feeling that she would find someone better, someone she loved more than him. The thought broke his heart.

_Don't be a bad girl._

_But if you want to leave, take good care._

_Hope you make a lot of nice friends out there.  
><em> Her Fireside girls wouldn't be there either. It was sad, because they wouldn't be there to balance each other out. They were all leaving somewhere different; there was a time of tearful goodbyes for old friends, but then they straightened up and saluted.

He still didn't know how they did it.

He sincerely hoped she'd make a lot of good friends out there.

_Just remember there's a lot of bad anywhere._

Even in Danville, she _could_ get hurt, he reasoned. But here she knew every corner, every personality, and every alley. There was definitely more safety in Danville, but there was still a chance, however slim.

He saw the object of her pain as he saw a large brick wall blocking his path: unavoidable, inevitable.

_Ooh baby, baby it's a wild world._

_And it's hard to get by just upon a smile._

_Ooh, baby, baby it's a wild world._

He knew and she knew that she could take care of herself. He treated this fact, though, as If it was a last resort. Like a hard piece of jewelry. You knew that if, by some accident, it were to be dropped on the cement, it wouldn't shatter, but it may get scratched, and for this reason you don't put valuable things to such chance. If such a situation presented itself, she _could_, but he didn't want her to be in such a state.

But maybe she could. Maybe he just didn't want her to go, maybe she was ready. He stood up and looked at the tree root.

They weren't young anymore: his Isabella was going to college, Ferb was married, Phineas himself had two nephews and a niece. But Isabella was still the same.

Love remains the same.'

_And I'll always remember you as a child, girl._


End file.
